Rosemary was a slight, tiny, fragile creature, with a mere slip of a figure, and mites of hands and feet. She had a thin face, a pale rose complexion, large, light blue eyes, and black hair, which she wore as children do now--partly banged across her forehead, but mostly hanging down her shoulders. She was clothed in a prim, blue, calico gown, with a short waist, high neck, tight sleeves, and a skirt all the way down to her feet, which were shod in coarse leather shoes over home-knit, gray stockings. The child was looking up to her aunt in great anxiety while the latter read the letter brought by the negro boy, Dan, who stood, torn hat in hand, holding the bridle of a short, fat, white cob, Jovial by name, commonly called "Jo." "Is it for me to go home? Oh, Aunt Sukey, is it for me to go home?" uneasily inquired the little girl, as the lady folded the letter. "No, child, no," soothingly replied the lady. "It is only to ask us both to ride four miles, and walk one, for the sake of eating 'Hot Biscuits,' in capital letters, for supper." "She say--Miss Dolly say--how you and Miss Ro'mery mus' ride Jo, and me to lead him," here explained the ragged negro boy. "Just like my poor sister Hedge! Well, it does not matter much. I was thinking about going over to Oldfield to-day; but all the horses here being at work, I had to give it up. Anyhow, I had certainly made up my mind to go down on the bay, before the great Force wedding, for as the ceremony is to be performed at All Faith Church, it will be much more convenient to attend it from Oldfield than from here. Are the ladies at Oldfield invited to the wedding, do you know, Dan?" "Oh, Lor'! yes'm. Ebrybody is 'wited, an' de church all dessicated full o' holly an' ebbergreens, like Chris'mas!" "Decorated, you mean, Dan." "Yes'm, desecrated." "Now then, Dan, give the horse some water, and let him rest while you get something to eat. We have just now done dinner, and the servants are taking theirs in the kitchen. Aunt Moll will give you yours, and by the time you have finished we shall be ready to start. Come, Rosemary." And taking her niece by the hand, Miss Grandiere stepped from the porch into a plainly furnished bedchamber, which was her own private apartment--sitting room by day, bedroom by night--and which she shared with her favorite niece whenever the little girl happened to be staying with her, which was, indeed, most of the time. "Aunt Sukey's room" was the best bedchamber in the farmhouse, being on the first floor, in the rear of the building, and opening upon the vine-shaded porch on the outside, and into the common hall on the inside. On a line with the porch was the best parlor, and on the other side of the hall there was a front dining room and a back sitting room. Although "Aunt Sukey's room" was the best, it was a very plain apartment, with whitewashed walls and bare floor.